WWE Superstar Power Rankings for 6/16/2014

WWE Superstar Power Rankings for 6/16/2014

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Credit: WWE.com

Money in the Bank gets closer and matches are starting to take shape. There's still a long way to go before we have a clear picture of what Money in the Bank will look like, but one thing is certain: Daniel Bryan won't be there.

This past Raw, he was stripped of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, meaning that Money in the Bank Match will be for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and not for a briefcase. But it would be a real shame if there was no Mr. Money in the Bank this year. Perhaps a second ladder match will be announced.

We'll get into all that and more in the following slides. Before we do, though, please read how these rankings work.

Holding a championship, being a No. 1 contender or holding a Money in the Bank briefcase counts for much of a wrestler's ranking and, therefore, the most heavily weighted components in these rankings. If a wrestler is tied with another wrestler, holding a title will break a tie.

Wins and losses account for the bulk of the week-to-week movement—wins and losses are, after championships, the most important component of the rankings. The quality of a wrestler's opponents and whether they are ranked or not is considered in the week-to-week movement.

"Getting the better" of someone—like beating someone down—as well as "getting got" also counts, though not as much as wins and losses. Being "over" with the fans is considered, but not heavily weighted, in the ranking decisions. Pay-per-view performances take on added importance.

Only the top 10 wrestlers are ranked. Wrestlers on the "Watch List" were considered for top-10 status but were ultimately nixed. They are unranked, and their listing is in no particular order.

Generally speaking, these rankings do not break kayfabe, though any major non-storyline information (serious injury, WWE Wellness Policy violations, legitimate hirings, firings, contract information, "sabbaticals," etc.) may be taken into consideration, especially if WWE confirms them publicly. Nothing that could be explicitly considered a spoiler is included, unless WWE acknowledges it as well.

All WWE shows, televised or digitally distributed, as well as anything from WWE.com, the WWE App, the WWE Network and any WWE or Superstar social-media accounts that don't break kayfabe may be taken into consideration for these rankings.

Watch List

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Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan has been officially stripped of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, meaning the Money in the Bank Match at Money in the Bank will not be for a briefcase but rather for the title itself. There's no way to know when Bryan will be back, but if he's not back by SummerSlam, he could have serious issues getting back into the title picture.

Bo Dallas

Bo Dallas is making Bo-lievers out of the WWE Universe. After defeating Xavier Woods on Raw and R-Truth on SmackDown, he runs his WWE record to 7-0. His loss on NXT to Sami Zayn as Mr. NXT notwithstanding, Dallas has been impressive. Perhaps if he beats more formidable opponents, he could crack the top 10 sooner rather than later.

RybAxel

RybAxel is a team always seemingly on the cusp. Lately, it's won far more often than it's lost, including this week's win over R-Truth and Goldust on Raw. But they won't be getting a tag-title shot anytime soon (more on that later). Can they find a way to earn a tag-title shot going forward?

Alberto Del Rio

There was once a time when Alberto Del Rio was No. 1 in these rankings. That was a long time ago, though, and his fall from prominence was quick and somewhat surprising.

Now he's got a chance to get back to where he once was, as he defeated Dolph Ziggler back on June 2 to become the first qualifier for the Money in the Bank Ladder Match. And now that the match has been announced to be for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, Del Rio has a huge opportunity to shine once again.

10. Rusev

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Previous Rank: watch list

Movement: into top 10

Up until now, no one has been able to stop Rusev and his manager Lana. He's destroyed everyone in his path, and for the first time, he earns a spot in the top 10. He beat Zack Ryder on Raw and then Kofi Kingston on Main Event.

Aside from a draw in a 10-man tag team match several months ago and his elimination in the Royal Rumble, Rusev simply hasn't lost in WWE. But he still doesn't seem to have a meaningful feud that could catapult him into contention for a title or raise his profile. He continues to destroy lesser opponents on a regular basis, though when he has faced tough competition, the result has been the same.

9. Evolution

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Previous Rank: 10

Movement: up 1

It's unclear whether or not Evolution will continue to exist as a cohesive unit or as just a broad banner, with each member off doing his own things. So far, it looks as though it could be the latter, and if that continues, then Seth Rollins and Randy Orton's rankings will be separated. For now, though, their ranking remains connected.

Triple H announced on Raw that The Shield would face The Wyatt Family, and that it could choose a tag team partner, though the members didn't believe they could find one. And Rollins had choice words for The Shield. Evolution's plan failed, though, when Cena teamed with The Shield to defeat the Wyatts.

Rollins would continue his diatribes against The Hounds of Justice, though, on Main Event the next night. After he was interrupted by Dolph Ziggler, he defeated him in a tough match later that evening. And when SmackDown rolled around, Rollins distracted Dean Ambrose in a match against Bray Wyatt, costing Ambrose a spot in the Money in the Bank Ladder Match.

Rollins has injected life into Evolution. If he keeps this up, we can expect to see the group (or possibly just Rollins) continue to rise in the rankings going forward.

8. The Usos

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Previous Rank: 9

Movement: up 1

The Usos had a good week, though it ended on a down note. On Raw, they defeated Damien Sandow and Fandango in a tag team match. No surprise there. But then on Main Event, Jimmy Uso got a huge victory over Luke Harper.

The celebration was short-lived, though, as SmackDown saw Erick Rowan defeat Jey Uso in singles competition. And because of their continuing feud, it was announced on WWE.com that The Usos will defend their WWE Tag Team Championships against Rowan and Harper at Money in the Bank.

It's exactly the kind of high-profile feud The Usos need to raise their profile and climb in the rankings. That's assuming they can win, of course.

7. Paige

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Previous Rank: 8

Movement: up 1

Paige continues to win and continues to stay in the top 10. And this week, she picked up two more wins, one in WWE and the other in NXT.

On Raw, she defeated Alicia Fox via PTO, the likely challenger for her title at Money in the Bank. Then on NXT, she teamed with Emma and Bailey against a newly reunited BFFs, featuring Sasha Banks, Summer Rae and NXT Women's champion Charlotte. Her team got the win as Bailey pinned Charlotte.

Paige needs more than just one capable opponent. And make no mistake, Fox is a tough competitor. But without any other real WWE competition, it's hard to truly gauge her abilities.

6. Bad News Barrett

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Previous Rank: 4

Movement: down 2

It was a bad week for Intercontinental Champion Bad News Barrett. He was in a match against Sheamus to qualify for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship Money in the Bank Ladder Match, but he lost.

Then on SmackDown, he had a chance to redeem that loss against Roman Reigns, but the match was called off after interference against Reigns. Barrett needs to get back on track, as he heads into the pay-per-view. And who will be his opponent, if he even defends the title at all?

5. Cesaro

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Previous Rank: 7

Movement: up 2

Cesaro had a very good week this past week, earning two wins over tough opponents. On Raw, he defeated Rob Van Dam to qualify for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship Money in the Bank Ladder Match. It will be his second title opportunity this year, after the Elimination Chamber match several months ago.

Then on SmackDown, he and Paul Heyman complained about how Sheamus had previously defeated Cesaro. Sheamus and Cesaro had a match, and Cesaro won. But he won in the same way Sheamus had previously: an inside cradle pin. Ironic, yes. But still it was a huge win over the United States champion. Can the Swiss Superman keep up this momentum heading into the pay-per-view?

4. The Wyatt Family

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Previous Rank: 5

Movement: up 1

The Wyatt Family had a rough start to its week but made everything right come SmackDown. On Raw, The Wyatts faced John Cena and The Shield in a six-man tag team match and lost when Roman Reigns pinned Luke Harper. Then on Main Event, Harper was again pinned, though this time against Jimmy Uso in singles action.

But on SmackDown, they made up for that lost ground. First, Erick Rowan got a win against Jey Uso, and then Bray Wyatt qualified for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship Ladder Match at Money in the Bank when he defeated Ambrose, though he got an assist from Rollins.

The Wyatts are claiming to be "reborn." And so far, it's been a mixed reaction. The loss to Cena at Payback hurt badly, but if Bray Wyatt can win the title at the pay-per-view, all of that will be forgotten.

3. Sheamus

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Previous Rank: 3

Movement: none

United States champion Sheamus had an up-and-down week, with one big win and one tough loss. He defeated Intercontinental champion Bad News Barrett to qualify for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship Ladder Match at Money in the Bank on Raw, which got things going for him to start the week.

But on SmackDown, he took a tough loss against Cesaro. The match was hard-fought, and his rivalry with Cesaro has been back-and-forth. Will Sheamus pull double-duty at Money in the Bank, defending his title and participating in the Ladder Match?

2. The Shield

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Previous Rank: 2

Movement: none

The Shield is holding its own against Evolution, even though it was betrayed and is now a man short. And Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns got a big assist from an unlikely source this week, too.

On Raw, The Shield was called out by Evolution and told that they would face The Wyatt Family in a six-man tag team match and that they had to find a partner. The Hounds of Justice found one in Cena, the same person they had attacked time and again. We've yet to find out why Cena sided with The Shield, but it worked, as Reigns pinned Harper to win the match.

SmackDown was a bit more muddled, though. Roman Reigns faced Bad News Barrett, but the match was called off as Reigns was attacked by 3MB. Reigns destroyed everyone and stood tall in the end, though. But things weren't as good for Ambrose. He faced Bray Wyatt in a Money in the Bank qualifier and lost, thanks to a distraction by Rollins.

In the end, it was a mostly good week. Will Cena continue to help The Shield, or will they have to find a permanent third member?

1. John Cena

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Previous Rank: 1

Movement: none

Cena continues to show why he's still the top guy in WWE. In his only appearance of the week, he teamed with The Shield on Raw. To start, he saved Ambrose and Reigns from a beating at the hands of The Wyatts, and then later teamed with The Hounds of Justice in a six-man tag team match, where they got the win.

What's surprising is that Cena would aid The Shield. Was he operating under the mantra "the enemy of my enemy is my friend," simply using The Shield to achieve his goal of defeating The Wyatts on every front? Or is there more to the story? Perhaps we'll get answers this week.